Children
Four kids succumb to pneumonia in Bhola, over 400 hospitalised
Bhola is witnessing a rise in cases of pneumonia and other cold-related diseases, particularly among kids.
At least four children have died and more than 400 others hospitalised in the district in the past one month, health authorities said on Friday.
Three of the four children who succumbed to pneumonia belonged to Bhola sadar upazila, while the fourth one was a resident of Charfasson upazila, according to Bhola Civil Surgeon’s office.
Also read: Over 14,000 children die in Bangladesh due to drowning every year
Health authorities attributed the deaths and hospitalisations to excessive heat followed by copious showers.
On Friday, 10 more children were hospitalised with pneumonia in the 30-bed children ward of Bhola General Hospital. Besides, over 50 patients are being treated just for cold-related diseases in the 250-bed hospital.
Due to a shortage of beds, some patients have been shifted to different hospitals in the seven upazilas of the district.
Also read: Learning Disabilities in Children: Types, symptoms, ways to help
Dr Tamnnaye Habiba of Bhola General Hospital, said,” Children are more prone to pneumonia and the infection might be rising due to inclement weather. We also have a shortage of doctors and staff but are trying our best to treat patients efficiently.”
2 children killed in Jashore road crash
Two minor children were crushed under the wheels of a tractor trolley in Sadar upazila of Jashore on Sunday morning, said police.
The deceased were identified as Jahia Khatun, 4, and her cousin Abu Huraira, 2, of Jirat village of the upazila.
Jahia's father Kamal Hossain was going to carry soil with the tractor trolley and when the vehicle started moving he did not notice the children who were behind the vehicle, said Tajul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Jashore Kotwali Model police station.
Also read: Baby born on road after accident that kills parents, sister
Zahia's father said, “The vehicle got stuck while moving backwards. When I went to check, I found the children crushed under the wheels.”
He could not hear their screams due the loud noise of the tractor, he said in a choked voice.
The bodies were handed over to the families without any post-mortem as they did not lodge any complaint, said the OC.
Also read: Joyride turns tragic, university student killed in Narayanganj accident
Two children drown in Bagerhat
Two minor children drowned in a pond near their home in Mongla upazila of Bagerhat on Friday, police said.
The children were identified as Md Jim, 5, son of Delwar Sheikh, and his cousin Brishti, 4, daughter of Lavlu Sheikh, of Telikhali village.
Read: 8 drown in 5 districts during Eid holidays
They fell into the pond near their house at around 11 am while playing, said Md Monirul Islam, officer-in-charge (OC) of Mongla police station.
Later, local people found the children floating in water and rushed them to Upazila Health Complex where doctors declared them dead, the OC added.
“A case has been filed,” he added.
8 drown in 5 districts during Eid holidays
Eight people, including seven children, drowned in Chattogram, Sylhet, Chapainawabganj, Sherpur and Brahmanbaria districts during Eid holidays.
In Chattogram, two children drowned in a canal in Kolpolok residential area in Bakolia of the city around 1pm on Tuesday while playing near the canal.
The deceased were identified as Md Shamim, 10, and Rabiul Islam, 7, residents of the area.
Sadiqur Rahman, officer-in-charge (OC) (investigation) of Panchlaish police station, said locals rescued the children and took them to Chattogram Medical College and Hospital (CMCH) where doctors announced them dead on arrival.
In Sylhet, a tourist drowned in the river at Jaflong, a tourist destination, this noon, said Md Ratan Sheikh, in-charge of Jaflong Tourist Police.
The deceased was identified as Mahidul Islam, 19, of Narsingdi district. He was a 2nd year student of Narsingdi Ideal College.
He among three people drowned in the river while taking bath, however, two of them managed to swim to the shore, said the official.
Later, fire service divers recovered Mahidul’s body from the river around 6pm, he added.
Read: Child Drowning Prevention: Water safety tips to save your kid from drowning
In Chapainawabganj, a 12-year-old boy drowned in the Mahananda River in the town this noon, said Mozaffar Hossain, officer-in-charge (OC) of Chapainawabganj Sadar police station.
The deceased was identified as Kawsar, son of Mesbaul Hoque of the district town.
Later, divers of the fire service rescued the boy and rushed him to district Sadar Hospital where doctors declared him dead, the OC added.
In Sherpur, a schoolboy drowned in a pond at a college playground in Pakuria union in the morning while playing football, said Naeem Md Nahid Hasan, inspector (Investigation) of Sherpur Sadar police station.
The deceased was identified as Munayem Islam Mishuk, a class X student of Sherpur Government Technical School and College.
Fire service divers recovered the body around 11am, said the OC.
In Brahmanbaria, two siblings drowned in a pond in Nabinagar upazila Monday evening.
The deceased were identified as Jannat Aktar, 10, and Sadia Aktar, 7, daughters of Md Atik Mia of the upazila.
The siblings slipped into the pond adjacent to their house and drowned, said Md Aminur Rashid, officer-in-charge (OC) of Nabinagar police station.
Later, locals recovered the bodies from the pond, he added.
In the district town, a schoolboy drowned in a canal at Kautali Sunday morning while bathing a sacrificial animal in the canal.
The deceased was identified as Nabil Rahman, a grade seven student of Ideal Residential School and College.
Fire service divers rescued Nabil's body from the Karulia canal after five hours of drowning, said district Fire Service Team Leader Md Jewel Mia.
Crisis in Myanmar taking an enormous toll on children: UN committee warns
The UN Child Rights Committee on Wednesday urged the international community to take swift action to protect the country’s children warning that time is running out to save Myanmar’s stricken generation.
Citing alarming findings in a report by the UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, the Committee said 7.8 million children in the country remain out of school, 250,000 are internally displaced, and children have reportedly been abducted and recruited for armed conflicts.
“Children continue to bear the brunt of the Myanmar military's ongoing attacks to assert control over the territory,” said the Committee in a statement.
Read:266,000 grave violations against children verified in conflict situations: UNICEF
At least 382 children have been killed or maimed by armed groups since the February 2021 coup. In addition, over 1,400 children have reportedly been arbitrarily arrested since the coup.
Children who took part or were suspected of having participated in protests, are among those detained by the military.
At least 274 child political prisoners remained in the military’s custody as of 27 May this year.
The military also takes children of human rights defenders hostage to pressure their parents to surrender.
According to the latest report by the Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, at least 61 children are currently being held hostage by the junta.
“Rohingya children have been arrested and detained for alleged migration-related offences. Torture and ill-treatment, including sexual abuse, have allegedly been inflicted on these children,” said the statement.
The number of children being abducted for recruitment purposes is on the rise, as well as children joining local defence groups and being particularly exposed to the danger of being killed or injured.
They have been dispatched to participate in armed conflicts.
The economic and humanitarian crises are having devastating impacts on children and fueling all forms of violence and exploitation.
The Committee is deeply concerned that the military intentionally impedes access to food, funds, medical aid, and communication to weaken the support base for armed resistance and provoke fear.
Child trafficking and child labour are reportedly on the rise in Myanmar.
Read: Children want govt investment in education, health, protection: UNICEF
According to UN figures, the estimated number of internally displaced people since the coup in the country has passed 700,000, including more than 250,000 children, as of 1 June 2022.
More than half of the country’s child population, about 7.8 million, remain out of school. The UN has documented 260 attacks on schools and education personnel since the coup, and 320 cases of the use of schools by armed groups between February 2021 and March 2022.
It is estimated that 33,000 children will die from preventable causes in 2022 merely due to the lack of routine immunizations. In addition, 1.3 million children and more than 700,000 pregnant or breastfeeding women require nutritional support.
As a result, experts warn of a looming food crisis and a dramatic increase in rates of childhood malnutrition.
The rights of children in Myanmar must be respected and protected under the Convention on the Rights of the Child and its Optional Protocol on the Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict, both ratified by Myanmar, as well as under the international humanitarian law.
The Committee urged Myanmar’s military to cease involving children in the hostilities, stop taking children hostage, end unlawful detention and torture and ill-treatment of children in captivity, and release all detained children immediately and unconditionally.
Perpetrators of atrocity crimes against children must be held accountable before impartial and independent courts.
The Committee also reiterated its call for the UN and civil society organizations to have safe and unrestricted access to deliver assistance and services to Myanmar’s most vulnerable children.
The Committee calls on the international community to urgently reassess and redesign the global response to the crises in Myanmar, prioritize children’s rights over other considerations, and take concrete measures to alleviate their suffering.”
Children aged 5-12 to be vaccinated soon: Health Minister
Children aged between five and 12 will be vaccinated against Covid-19 soon, said Health Minister Zahid Maleque on Tuesday.
Birth certificate is required to get registered for Covid vaccine, he said.
He was speaking at the inaugural and certificate distribution ceremony of the "Certificate Course on Neurodevelopment Disorder" organised by the Institute of Paediatric Neurodisorder & Autism (IPNA) at Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU).
Read:Children aged 5-12 to be vaccinated by June: Health Minister
“Although several countries of the world have started vaccinating their children, we have not yet been able to vaccinate children. Because, we didn’t receive approval from the World Health Organization (WHO),” he said.
“Now we have got the approval, so we will start the programme very soon.”
He said they have also received the suitable vaccine for children.
There are about 1.5 crore children and it will take time to vaccinate them all. “So get your children registered fast to get them vaccinated,” he urged the parents.
The minister said they have a plan to manufacture vaccine in the country and already selected a land in Gopalganj in this regard. “We will manufacture all the vaccines there.”
266,000 grave violations against children verified in conflict situations: UNICEF
The United Nations verified over 266,000 grave violations against children committed by parties to conflict in more than 30 conflict situations across Africa, Asia, the Middle East and Latin America between 2005 and 2020, UNICEF said on Tuesday in a new report.
This figure is a fraction of the violations believed to have occurred, as access and security constraints, among others, and the shame, pain, and fear that child and family survivors suffer often hamper the reporting, documentation and verification of grave violations against children in situations of armed conflict.
The report – 25 years of children and armed conflict: Taking action to protect children in war – found that between 2005 and 2020 more than 104,100 children have been verified as killed or maimed in situations of armed conflict; more than 93,000 children have been verified as recruited and used by parties to conflict; at least 25,700 children have been verified as abducted by parties to conflict; parties to conflict have raped, forcibly married, sexually exploited, and committed other grave forms of sexual violence against at least 14,200 children.
Read:Global hunger crisis pushes one child per minute into severe malnutrition: UNICEF
The United Nations verified more than 13,900 incidents of attacks against schools and hospitals and verified no fewer than 14,900 incidents of denial of humanitarian access for children since 2005.
“This report lays out in the starkest possible terms the world’s failure to protect its children from grave violations during times of armed conflict,” said UNICEF Executive Director Catherine Russell.
“Grave violations devastate children, families, and communities – and they tear at the fabric of society, making it even harder to restore and sustain peace, security, and stability. We must refuse to accept violations against children as an unavoidable outcome of war.”
Based on sixteen years of data from the Secretary-General’s Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict, the report illustrates the impact that armed conflicts have had on children, by presenting trends of grave violations across the world and over time.
The report examines how information on the documented patterns of grave violations is being used to respond to children’s needs and how engagement with parties to conflict – State and non-State actors alike – enables ending and preventing grave violations.
The annual number of verified violations has gradually increased since 2005, surpassing 20,000 in a year for the first time in 2014 and reaching 26,425 in 2020.
Between 2016 and 2020, the daily global average of verified grave violations stood at an alarming 71 violations.
The elevated number of violations observed in recent years demonstrates the dramatic impact that armed conflict – and increasingly complex and protracted protection crises – have on children.
The report notes that many children suffer from more than one violation, increasing their vulnerability.
For example, abduction is often combined with or leads to other violations, particularly recruitment and use and sexual violence.
Children – especially girls – who have been abducted and/or associated with parties to conflict are exposed to elevated risks of sexual violence, including rape, sexual exploitation and forced marriage.
The report found that grave violations against children were committed by all parties to conflict, States and non-State actors alike. Between 2016 and 2020, State actors – including national and international forces and coalitions – were responsible for at least 26% of all violations.
In comparison, non-State actors accounted for about 58% of all verified violations, underscoring the importance of engagement with all parties to conflict, including non-state actors, to meaningfully end and prevent violations against children.
In order to bolster accountability, parties to conflict listed in the Secretary-General’s annual report on children and armed conflict develop and implement Action Plans with specific, concrete, and time-bound actions to establish sustainable measures to protect children from the impact of conflict.
Between 2005 and 2021, a total of 37 Action Plans have been signed by parties to conflict in 17 conflict situations.
Around 70 per cent of Action Plans were signed with non-State actors, with the remaining 30 per cent signed with State actors.
The report lays out several examples highlighting the critical value and impact of Action Plans in bringing about positive change for children, both in the immediate and long terms, as well as outlining challenges and obstacles.
The report also found: Children from poorer backgrounds and children of specific status or characteristics – including refugee, internally displaced and indigenous children, among others – remain at heightened risk of grave violations.
Available sex-disaggregated data indicates that verified incidents of grave violations have predominantly affected boys.
Read:Children want govt investment in education, health, protection: UNICEF
For instance, in 2020, boys accounted for 73 per cent of all child victims, with the vast majority of child victims of recruitment and use (85 per cent boys), abduction (76 per cent boys) and killing and maiming (70 per cent boys) being boys. In comparison, girls accounted for one-fourth (26 per cent) of all child victims, including 98 per cent of child victims of rape and other grave forms of sexual violence.
Between 2016 and 2020, 79 per cent of all verified child casualties – or about 41,900 children – occurred in only five situations: Afghanistan (30 per cent), Israel and the State of Palestine (14 per cent), Syria (13 per cent), Yemen (13 per cent) and Somalia (9 per cent).
The use of explosive weapons, particularly in populated areas and those with wide area effect, are a persistent threat to children and their families. In 2020 alone, explosive weapons and explosive remnants of war were responsible for at least 47 per cent of all child casualties, resulting in more than 3,900 children killed and maimed.
Whilst the overall ability of the United Nations to document and verify incidents of grave violations has increased over time, it has fluctuated from one year to another, from one situation to another, and from one violation to another.
In this regard, and based on all of the above, direct comparisons between situations, years, or violations should be undertaken with caution.
“UNICEF and our partners will not waver in our work to prevent grave violations against children,” said Russell. “With more children affected by conflict, violence, and crises now than at any time since the Second World War, this work has never been more urgent.”
The report recommendations, based on the evidence and analysis presented, aim to mobilize all concerned stakeholders, including parties to conflict, States, and the UN Security Council, to effectively and sustainably protect children and to accelerate action at local, national, regional, and global levels.
In addition to calling on parties to conflict, and states, to abide by their obligations under international human rights and humanitarian law, the report includes recommendations on: how to better provide adequate care and response services to children affected by conflict, ways to improve data disaggregation and analysis for better response and prevention, how to support Country Task Forces on Monitoring and Reporting (CTFMRs) to accelerate action, and improve CTFMR engagement with governments; ways to better engage with parties to conflict to develop Action Plans and sustainably protect children.
Myanmar military killed at least 142 children in past 16 months: UN expert
The Myanmar military junta has brutally killed children and systematically abused their human rights, a UN expert said in a report released on Tuesday, noting that over the past 16 months, the military has killed at least 142 children in Myanmar.
The report called for immediate coordinated action to protect the rights of children and safeguard Myanmar’s future.
Over 250,000 children have been displaced by the military’s attacks and over 1,400 have been arbitrarily detained, said the report received from Geneva.
At least 61 children, including several under three years of age, are reportedly being held as hostages. The UN has documented the torture of 142 children since the coup.
“The international community’s approach to the coup and the junta’s atrocities has failed,” said Tom Andrews, UN Special Rapporteur on the situation of human rights in Myanmar, adding that States must take immediate coordinated action to address an escalating political, economic and humanitarian crisis that is putting Myanmar’s children at risk of becoming a lost generation.
He said the junta’s relentless attacks on children underscore the generals’ depravity and willingness to inflict immense suffering on innocent victims in its attempt to subjugate the people of Myanmar.
The Special Rapporteur said it was clear from the evidence that the children of Myanmar were not only being caught in the crossfire of escalating attacks, but that they were often the targets of the violence.
“During my fact-finding for this report, I received information about children who were beaten, stabbed, burned with cigarettes, and subjected to mock executions, and who had their fingernails and teeth pulled out during lengthy interrogation sessions,” Andrews said.
The junta’s attacks on children constitute crimes against humanity and war crimes, he said, adding that Junta leader Min Aung Hlaing and other architects of the violence in Myanmar must be held accountable for their crimes against children.
READ: War crimes, crimes against humanity committed daily in Myanmar: UN expert
“For the sake of Myanmar’s children, Member States, regional organisations, the Security Council, and other UN entities must respond to the crisis in Myanmar with the same urgency they have responded to the crisis in Ukraine.”
Andrews urged Member States to work in coordination to alleviate the suffering of children by systematically increasing pressure on the junta.
He urged States that have already imposed sanctions on the military and military-linked companies to take stronger coordinated action that will inhibit the junta’s ability to finance atrocities.
“States must pursue stronger targeted economic sanctions and coordinated financial investigations. I urge Member States to commit to a dramatic increase in humanitarian assistance and unequivocal regional support for refugees,” he said.
“It is scandalous that the international community has committed only 10 percent of the funds required to implement the Myanmar Humanitarian Response Plan 2022, causing lifesaving programs for children to be shelved,” he said.
The Special Rapporteur’s report describes the impact of the 1 February 2021 coup on the human rights of children in Myanmar and details the alarming, underreported facts of the violence being perpetrated against them.
Soldiers, police officers and military-backed militias have murdered, abducted, detained and tortured children in a campaign of violence that has touched every corner of the country, the report said.
The junta has intentionally deprived children of their fundamental human rights to health, education and development, with an estimated 7.8 million children out of school.
Following the collapse of the public health system since the coup, the World Health Organization projects that 33,000 children will die preventable deaths in 2022 because they have not received routine immunizations.
Andrews said the lack of action by Security Council was a moral failure with profound repercussions for children in the country.
“World leaders, diplomats and donors should ask themselves why the world is failing to do all that can reasonably be done to bring an end to the suffering of the children of Myanmar,” the expert said.
Budget FY23: Women, children get higher allocation
Women empowerment and child development sector will receive an allocation of Tk 4,290 crore, for fiscal year 2022-2023 which was Tk 4,190 crore in outgoing fiscal year 2021-2022.
Proposing the allocation, Finance Minister AHM Mustafa Kamal said they have given importance to five areas in the forthcoming budget to implement the strategic objectives of the government for women’s empowerment and child welfare.
Also read:Budget FY23: Laundered money to be legalized by 7-15 pc tax
These include food assistance for vulnerable mothers (VGD) programmes, mother and child benefit programmes on life-cycle basis, child development centres and adolescent empowerment programmes, technical, vocational, income-generating and productive training for women and prevention of violence against women.
Regarding women empowerment, he said they will give importance to the skill development of young women, especially in professional and technical fields.
“We will consider on a priority basis activities such as adopting effective and robust institutional strategies for gender equality and women empowerment, allocating adequate funds and manpower to bring the gender issue into the mainstream and increasing skilled manpower in technology.”
“In continuation of the 7th Five Year Plan, we are implementing various activities for establishing a gender inclusive society and empowering women following the strategies worked out in the 8th Five Year Plan,” he said.
Besides, micro-credit activities are being carried out to improve the socio-economic condition of rural poor and helpless women for poverty alleviation and affording opportunities for self-employment. “Loan disbursement is going on in 488 upazilas of 64 districts on a revolving basis with the allotted funds,” said Kamal.
In child development, they are also giving importance in the forthcoming budget on providing essential healthcare, ensuring availability of food and nutrition, ensure access to education, training and development for the children.
Necessary steps will be taken to impart healthcare knowledge among adolescents. “We are taking into account the nutrition-sensitive approach and the priority of poor families including children in social security programmes,” he added.
Two kids drown in Chandpur
Two minors drowned in a pond near their home in the village of Munsirhat Dighaldi in Matlab Dakshin upazila of Chandpur district on Thursday noon.
The deceased were identified as Minhaj, 3, son of Mizan Mridha, and Hanjala, son of Muktar Mijhi of the same age.
Neighbour Al Amin said Minhaj and Hanjala were playing near the pond adjacent to their house, when at one stage they fell into the pond.
Later, family members found their lifeless bodies floating on the surface of the pond and took them to Chandpur government general hospital, where doctors declared them officially dead, said Dr Animash Chakroborty.
Also read: Manikganj: 5-year-old drowns while swimming in Kaliganga